Digester.



G. EDGERTON. DIGESTER. APPLICATION FILED my. 9, 190a.

Patentd Sept. 29, 1908.

0 000000000 /7- cl ooo 00000 0000 0000 0000000000 0 000500 0000 000 00000000 000000000 00000000 000000000 09000000 000000000 o ooooooo WITNESSES I x INVENTOI? EHAHLE 5 ED'GEHTDN g srh ATTORNEYS CHARLES nnenn'ron, or PHII'LADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DIG STER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January a, 1908. Serial No. 409,922.

Patented. Sept. 29, 1 90s.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES EDGERTON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Digesters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of an improved digester to be used. more particularly for cooking garbage through the agenc of steam, for the recovery of the oils, fertilizer and other valuable constituents, but applicable to all uses in which steam may be employed for the purpose of promoting the separation of the liquid matters from solid matters or for subjecting semi-solid matters -to the agency of steam. .1

It relates to that form of digester in which an'outer containing vessel is provided-interiorl with a rotating perforated receiver suspen ed within the outer container by means of trunnions, and provided with gears for rotation within the stationary container. In such digesters the discharge of the solid matters from the inner perforated receiver is attained with some difficulty either by reason of the construction of such perforated receiver or by reason of the construction of the outer containing vessel, and my lnventlon consists in such construction of receiver and container as facilitates the discharge of both the solid and liquid matters, andwhich also provides a strong, braced construction which insures the coaxial alinement of the trunnion as hereinafter more fully describedwith reference to the drawing, in which- .Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 an end elevation with the upper half in transverse section on line 22 of Tn the drawing the'outer containing vessel and the inner perforated receivingvessel are made of substantially the same shape .with' parallel. walls leaving an annular space between the same into which steam is introducd for,the purpose of effecting the cook'- ing of the garbage or other materials contained within the inner receiver. Both of these vessels are made substantially alike of five parts. The'inner receiver consists of a relatively narrow cylindrical belt of sheet metal A, to'the opposite-sides of Which'are secured by rivets, two frusto-conical sections A, A, and to the outer and smaller ends of which frusto-conical sections are similarly secured by'rivets, the dished ends or heads A A In like manner the outer container consists of a narrow cylindrical belt B with two oppositely placed frusto-conical sections B, B, and two-dished heads B B The .outer container is provided at suitable pointsdn the frusto-conical sections with steam Inlet and outlet pipes C, C, this outer container being constructed of boiler iron.

. The inner receiver, which is of somewhat erforated throughout thinner material, is 1t s middle portion wit holes of a size suited to the character of the materials to be treated.

These'holes extend around the middle belt A and may or may not extend throughout the parts A.

The outer containeris provided at coaxial points with hollow trunnions b 1), whose flanges are bolted concentrically to the dished heads B B Concentrically and coaXially within these hollow trunnions are arranged the journals (1 a having flanges which are bolted to the end heads A ,'A of the receiver. Between the journals a of the inner receiver and the hollow trunnions bof 3 the container there are formed 'stu'liing boxes provided with glands s to render the joint steamtight. The hollow trunnions of the outer container and the journals ofthe inner receiver are mounted in bearings in the upper ends of standards D, D. Fixed to the end of one of the journals a of the inner receiver there is a large gear Wheel E which is in mesh with, and derives motion from, a small pinion E mounted rigidly on a shaft'E and aving' a step drive pulley E 7 The shaft E is journaled at' one end in a bearing e within the standard D and at the other end is journaled in a bearing e in the separate shorter standard D Motion imparted to the shaft E and drive pulley E causes, through the pinion E and large gear E, a'slow rotation of the perforated inner receiver within the stationary outer container.

At' diametrically opposite po nts of the outer container in the middle cylindrical belt B are formed res ectively the inlet and outlet openings. Tlie inlet ogening is formed by means of a cast collar 3 riveted to the edges ,of the cylindrical belt and has a door I), with suitable fastenings for securing it tightly upon the collar. At the bottom of the coupling B which may communicate with any suitable receptacle for recelvmg' the solid and liquid "matters after treatment.

large gate valve which in turn is connected ing doors A A".

- through the open doors A A.

small outlet doors at A3, A structions the double frusto-conical ends of This outlet coupling B At diametrically opposite points in the inner receiver there are also arranged .inlet and outlet openings, closed res ectively by slid- The oor A slides in curved guides a, 0/ arranged transversely on the periphery of the middle belt portion and the'door' A slides in similar guides a a on the op osite side. With tlie double frusto-conical construction .of. digester as thus described, it will be seen that when the matters contained within the inner receiver .have been sufficiently cooked by the steam jacket and the slow rotation imparted to said receiver through they gears, the contents of said receiver are convenientlyand easil discharged by their own gravity by sim y opening the doors A A and rotating t e inner cylinder. The mass of matter, being sustained upon the inclined sides of the lower surface of each end of the receiver, gradually moves to the mid-' dle of the inner receiver and is discharged In like manner the fluid matters pass down the inclined sides from each end of the outer container and pass out through the outlet coupling B. By this means also I am enabled to greatly strengthen the inner receiver, using only With my conthe receiver form a braced construction which preserves the coaxial alinement of both the journals of the inner receiver and the hollow trunnions of the outercontainer.

The outer container, or incl'osing case, it will be seen, is stationary and its mounting on the standards D D is suflicientlyhigh to hold the outlet B in suspended position. at the bottom of the apparatus is designed to connect with a below to a receiving tank, the material dro ping through under seal without the d18- sem'ination of odors to the external air,

which is a very imlportant feature in treatin certain materia s.

claim '1. A digester' comprising an outer stationary shell and an inner perforated and revolving receiver, both being formed with a cylindrical middle. section and tapered end sections decreasing in diameter from the middle and having one or more doors midway between the ends, and the outer container being formed at opposite points with inlet and outlet openings in alinement with the doors of the inner rotary receiver and elevated end supports for both vessels, the outlet of the outer container having a stationary pendent coupling adapted to make a sealed-connection.

2. A digester comprising an outer containing shell and an inner receiver, both being formed alike with a. relatively narrow middle cylindrical portion having inlet and outlet openings, opposite frusto-conical sectionsand dished end sections, the end sec tions being provided on their outer sides with coaxial trunnions elevated end sup )orts for the same and means for rotating t 1e inner container.

3. A digester comprising an outer container of double frusto-conical shape with diametrical openings inthe middle and an inner receiver constructed of double frustoconical shape, the middle portion of which is formed with one or more outlets provided with curved and transverse guideways and curved sliding doors for the same.

4. A digester com rising an outer shell having a middle cy indrica'l portion and double frusto-conical ends, an inner receiver also formed with a middle cylindrical tion and double frusto-conical ends, both being coaxially mounted on trunnions and provlded with re istering doors arranged midway between t e ends and elevated end supports for both vessels.

CHARLES EDGERTON. Witnesses:

HENRY R. WALTON, CHRIs PFEIFFER. 

